LINTC 04: Kabba Short Stories

This collection of descriptive Kabba Short Stories in four languages (Kabba, French, English and German) is of great cultural, historical and linguistic value and interest for people of all ages, places and backgrounds. Some stories deal with ancient and pre-colonial practices, worldviews and belief systems, such as initiation ceremonies, sorcery, polygamy, birth processes, marriage ceremonies, and death rituals. Others describe life in the villages, and such things as the cultivation of millet and sesame, the construction of houses, the killing of a goat, the preparation of a special sauce, and the collection of honey.

As the Kabba are traditional hunters and fishermen as well as agriculturalists, some of the stories naturally deal with hunting and fishing. Others deal with the conflicts and changes involved with the arrival of the ‘white man’, such as the introduction of hospitals, schools, literacy, cultivation of cotton, digging for diamonds, and playing football. Some stories are very personal and deal with emotional issues, experiences and interpersonal relationships.

These stories were told in Bangui during the years 1989 and 1999 by men aged between 20 and 50. They are all experts in the fields they are describing. This collection was edited and compiled by Rosmarie Moser. It follows the publication by Lincom-Europa of ‘Kabba: A Nilo-Saharan Language of the Central African Republic’ (2004), ‘Kabba-English-French Dictionary’ (2007) and ‘Kabba Folk Tales and Proverbs’ (2009).